saturations | AUDIENCE FOR: ryunosuke

[ the space hits an odd note of cozy and lonely at the same time, and he has to cough up dust as he clamors upright, not enough time to register every busy little detail of the room before he sees shale and his mouth drops open.

...hello to you too. he considers hitting send on his message, but ends up pocketing his phone instead. this may as well happen. ]

S-Sorry... [ disoriented, he bumps into the table as he makes his way over, quickly stabilizing the vase before he stares over at shale. ] It's really you? You can see me? —Where is this?

[ help ]

[it's extremely likely shale was talking to him for five minutes without realizing they turned voice to text off. anyway.]

I can see you. [even if he looks a little ghostly.] ...You're in my cottage. Sorry, it's a little messy, but it's safer than the garden.

[ shale, ]

Thank goodness— [ being a spooky, invisible ghost might've been too frustrating for words. also because it's still touch week, he runs over and gives them a hug. hello. ] You're really here! [ wait, everything feels numb and weird. ] ...Oh god. I'm actually dead.

That's what I was trying to tell you.

[but they sound very sympathetic. and they give ryunosuke a big comfortable statue hug. it's stone, but it has a nice, calming energy. the feeling of watching a time lapse video of a flower growing.]

I know it's not what you want. But I feel lucky to get to talk to you again like this.

[ this is good vibes. ryunosuke's energy is often a little twitchy and frenetic, but the slight strain in his voice is from emotion rather than panic. ]

Me too.

[ he's earnest about it, because yes, being dead is unnerving, but being back here and heard is a hopeful thing. it's all one step forward at a time. ]

Sorry—Kazuma told me that you all had to go through a real trial because of us. The last few weeks must've been an ordeal.

It was probably more of an ordeal for your friend Kazuma than it was for me.

[it wasn't great for any of them, but the poor guy.]

The last time I talked to him, he seemed suspicious of me because I cared too much about his feelings. How's he doing with that now?

[ he winces at that. kazuma please. ]

Ah... well.

[ where to even start with that. ]

He's not very open about these things, so he won't tell me much. But he's having a hard time. [ doesn't take a detective to see that much. ] I think most people would, in his position.

...He didn't mean to hurt anyone. Neither of us did.

I know.

[they sound understanding about it, at least.]

I can tell he's been through a lot, and that he cares about you a lot, too. It's nice to know that you've both somewhere where you can talk it out.

It wasn't either of your fault.

[ he's appreciative, taking a seat on the ground near the hearth, like maybe he can still feel the warmth of it? that would be nice. ]

...I want to believe that. [ and he does, mostly—he's good at seeing when blame lies far beyond just a culprit and a victim. there's still some guilt to process for his part in it all, but it's more important to clip whatever is causing this to happen.

though... ]

I haven't figured out who or what's really at fault. All I know is how I felt that day, and how it ended.

Will you tell me about that? How you felt?

[he can still feel the warmth, but it's a little farther away.]

...It was a little like that time in the arena. Back then, when I used Crystalline, it was as though hurting Garou was... vindicated. I was sure that it was the right thing to do, even if that's not like me at all.

[ he believes in justice, not an eye for an eye. and even justice is a nebulously defined thing. he frowns, staring with great intent at the fire. ]

It felt the same way when I was awake that night. Like I had to stop Kazuma from—...betraying me? I was so certain he was going to, and that he'd hurt us before. If I didn't stop him then, he'd end up... [ like any and every limb of the reaper. a good person that he never really knew every side of—a good person who would go on to do terrible things. ]

...He'd become everything he hates. And I wasn't even afraid of why it was happening. It just felt right.

[ verdant, crystalline, a hint of fond and pained sunrise. there might've been flashes of anger, but no real malice. ]

It scares me to think about how natural it was at the time.

[none of that does sound like the ryunosuke shale's met, no. shale hums, concerned.]

We didn't know anything was wrong. But after the trial, when I went to see Kazuma, I could tell something still wasn't right, even then.

Something about his colors was off. [...] But even if that's what happened to you, I don't understand why it happened, or why it's getting worse.

...Right. It'd make sense that it's color-related.

[ it was crystalline that'd made him act strangely before—it's not much of a leap to conclude colors played a part on their thursday night. ]

I felt oddly before everyone fell asleep, too. It started a little earlier than that. And if Kazuma was affected up until his death... [ what really triggered it? how can they make it stop? ] Do you think that means color is dangerous for us to use?

I don't think color is dangerous, but something is happening that makes your colors turn dangerous, I think.

When did you start feeling off?

[ he thinks back... ]

Not too long after I got back from that arena.

Huh.

[they don't seem too certain what to make of this, either, but...

anyway, as they think, something gets a little odd about the cottage. it sort of blinks out for a second into dark black space dotted with white dust, and it blinks back, but for a moment the colors are all off. oversaturated. and then...they go back to normal.]

[ he starts, glancing around the cottage quickly. what... ]

—What's happening?

[shale seems uneasy, but not alarmed.]

Hey, it's okay. [is it?] You aren't...really supposed to be here. But for a little while, just in here, it won't do too much damage.

[ IS IT OKAY.. does shale know it's okay or are they just saying this. ]

So I'm causing it... [ big frown ] That's what you meant when you said it was safer inside?

[ he's a little sad, but it stands to reason that he's disrupting things somehow. otherwise the residents would've already brought them all back already. ]

That's right. This is a place that's shaped around me. What other people bring into it can still change it a little, but they can't change it as easily as other places in the prism.

[as for whether it's really okay...]

I'm keeping an eye on it.

...Okay. [ if shale has it under control, that's fine. he breathes out in a long exhale. ] I guess that means I can't go looking for anyone else then.

[ residents and dead people only club. ]

Sorry. I know this is hard to hear, but...I don't think it's safe for you guys to talk to them, and I don't think it would be a good idea for you to, either.

...I understand.

[ it is hard, actually, because he wants to reconnect and see that everyone is okay with his own two eyes, rather than through murky visions. who wouldn't want to see their friends again? but he gets it. ]

Then is it okay if I still stop by in here sometimes? I don't want to disrupt your home.

[there's something a little bit sad about shale when he asks that; they seem a little sad, but their statue face is a smile.]

Thanks for asking. [it's just very sweet of ryunosuke to care about that first.] I'd love it if you kept coming by. You're nice to talk to.

[ he's looks rueful in return, but after a second he slaps the sides of his face lightly, like he's waking himself up before getting to his feet. ]

In that case, you'd better send me back. But... thanks.

[ he's not in a hurry to leave, shake is a comforting presence and he likes being back, but they've got more to do. this is a step forward, and he's used to scrapping for progress.

before running at memshare, one more touch week thing: he reaches up to pat shale's shoulder. ]

I'll stop in again soon. Maybe we can have tea next time.

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saturations - 2022-03-12 01:32 (UTC) - Expand